MUSCAT — Oman Investment Authority has helped establish one of the Middle East’s largest tuna and sardine canning facilities in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, as the Sultanate seeks to raise value added in its fisheries sector and expand non-oil exports.

The plant, developed through OIA subsidiary Oman Food Investment Holding, has an annual production capacity of about 100 million cans and represents an investment of roughly 26 million Omani rials ($67.5 million). Authorities say the facility is among the biggest of its kind in the region and exceeds the scale of comparable plants across the Gulf.

The project is expected to create around 200 direct jobs and support domestic food manufacturing by sourcing raw material from Omani fishing companies. Alongside canned tuna and sardines, the facility produces fish meal and fish oil, operating an integrated supply chain that includes processing, cold storage and warehousing.

OIA said the plant incorporates energy- and water-efficiency measures and reuses fish waste to produce secondary products, aligning operations with sustainability goals and international best practices.

Located near major fishing grounds and ports on the Arabian Sea, Duqm offers logistical advantages that support access to regional and global markets, helping position Oman as an exporter of premium seafood, the authority said.

The initiative forms part of OIA’s National Development Fund, which oversees more than 160 companies across key sectors and supports Oman Vision 2040 objectives including economic diversification, private-sector participation and job creation.